Kenyan family who lost kin in Ethiopian Airline crash sues Boeing in USA

Attorney Nomaan Husain speaks at a press conference on April 16, 2019 in Nairobi flanked by Esther Kabau—his client, as he announced suing Boeing over the death of their kin, George Kabau, in last month’s plane crash involving Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. PHOTO | SIMON MAINA | AFP

A Kenyan family that lost kin in Ethiopian Airline crash has filed a suit against American aviation giant Boeing for allegedly prioritising profits at the expense of passengers’ safety.

Through US-based aviation law and personal injury firm, Husain Law & Associates, the family accuses Boeing of being a “reckless example” of a company fixated with increasing sales while disregarded safety concerns.

Husain Law has filed the suit in conjunction with Nairobi-based Lesinko Njoroge & Gathogo Advocates and Kabau & Associates Advocates.

The family lost their kin, George Kabau, a 29-year-old electrical engineer who was working with General Electric until the fatal crash in Ethiopia that claimed 157 lives last month.

“Once again, corporate greed has prioritised profits over safety with tragic consequences for the public. Our goal with these lawsuit is to obtain answers for our grieving clients and hold those accountable for creating this tragedy,” said attorney Nomaan Husain who has spent over 20 years handling aviation-related cases.

“Our client is hoping that US jury will not only compensate them for the irreplaceable loss but also hold Boeing accountable for the fact that it did something that caused the tragic life of 346 people.”

The suit becomes the second to be filed by Husain Law having filed another one against a US citizen who also died in the crash.

This piles pressure on Boeing Corporation whose CEO Dennis Muilenburg who said early April that this is a “heart-wrenching time in my career.”

Mr Husain says that Boeing’s alleged failure to inform pilots of defect in the Max 8’s flight control system and angle of attack left pilots without knowledge or ability to restore manual control and prevent a crash. Another Max crashed last year.

“We want the jury in the US to hear all of the evidence, what Boeing did, how much money it made from sale of these planes, then allow it to decide how much to award for compensation and to punish Boeing for recklessness,” he said.